CES 2018 Las Vegas

Among the biggest stars at CES 2018 were the newest smart speakers and the latest skills they offer. With it comes many new opportunities for radio as audio, and how Artificial Intelligence (AI) devices like Alexa are influencing the way consumers are tapping into their favorite stations using these skills. The machine learning is improving the way we interact with the technology. So it’s no surprise that this year’s CES theme was AI! Everything is getting smarter due to data. As the devices get smarter, audio will play a larger role.

Jeff Schmidt, SVP of Professional Development at the RAB, talked with Steve Koenig, Senior Director of Research for the Consumer Technology Association, following his “Tech Trends to Watch” presentation, and Dr. Shawn DuBravac, past leader of the Consumer Technology Association and now owner of a new company called Astra Insights. Both discussed how AI and the data drives what we do. In addition, there is an increase in the number of smart speakers into the home and in more rooms. Future uses will need to become developed for this platform. The emerging technologies, like Smart Cities, are being developed by disruptive tech start-ups.

Due to this increase in the use of voice activation smart speakers in the home and autos, it is imperative that radio stations get their call letters registered for the skill that will extend their brand (i.e., Alexa, play Z100, etc.). Audio content will be in high demand as the smart speaker popularity explosion continues to bring new experiences into the home (i.e., DJs doing more podcasting, radio providing more specific morning shows to start consumers’ day, etc.).

All the above opportunities, coupled with the new platform and audience analytics (Veritone, Analytic Owl, etc.) being developed in 2018, will drive more revenue to radio and digital audio for the coming year, as it will lead to more effective client campaigns with higher conversion rates.

If the above trends continue, 2018 will be the year that drives more revenue to radio due to the following:

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